Paper tray.



F. B. DAVIDSON.

PA-PBR TRAY. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 4.

PATENTED JUNE 30, 1908.

8 BHEBTE-BHBET 1.

No. 892,030; PATENTED JUNE 30, 1908. 4

F. DAVIDSO PAPER TRAY. APPLIOLTIOR PILBD AUG. 22, 1904.

8 SHBETS-SHBET 2.

PATENTED JUNE 30, 1908. F. B. DAVIDSON.

PAPER TR AY. APPLIOATION PILED wa. 22, '1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEBT 3.

nu' Mamu: co.. smurm, b. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK B. DAVIDSON, OF MARSEILLES, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HOWE AND DAVIDSON COM- PANY, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, A OORPOBATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PAPER TRAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 30, 1908.

Application filed August 22, 1904. Serial No. 221,678.

To all whom 'ii may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK B. DAVIDSON, a citizen of the United States, of Marseilles, in the county of Lasalle and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Paper Trays; and I do hereby declare that the' following is a full, clear, and eXact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in trays or like receptacles made of paper or other fleXible material and provided with a fiat bottom and a rim surrounding said bottom, the invention relating more particularly to that class of such trays in which the bottom and surrounding' rim are made or constructed of a single flat piece, sheet or blank. The invention includes the blank from which such trays are made, as well as the tray itself.

The tray herein illustrated is especially applicable for use in packing candies and like merchandise in pails, and when used in this manner the trays are filled and placed in a candy pail, one over the other, said trays thus serving as horizontal separators or partitions by which the layers of candy in the pail are separately supported. Trays having the same feature of construction hereinafter described may, however, be used for other purposes.

As shown in the accomp anying drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a cut and scored blank from which a preferred form` of my 'improved tray is made. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the finished tray made from the blank shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view of part of a blank showing a modified construction in the same. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken through the bottom of the tray made from the blank shown in Fig. 3, illustrating one of the sets of flaps when folded to make the rim, as viewed from the inner face of the said rim. Fig. 5 is an exterior view of the flaps shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a view like Fig. 3, showing a blank having fewer flaps than that shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view showing a part of the tray rim made from the blank shown in Fig. 6 when the flaps are folded and interlocked, as *viewed from the inner face thereof. Fig. S is an exterior view of the device shown in Figs. 6 and 7. Fig. 9 is a view of part of a blank differing slightly from that shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 10 is an exterior view of the flaps shown in Fig. 9, when folded and interlocked. Fig. 11 shows a part of still another blank, generally resembling that shown in Figs. 6 and 9. Fig. 12 is an exterior view of the flaps of Fig. 11, when folded and interlocked. Fig. 13 is a view of part of a blank having the same number of flaps shown in Figs. 1 and 3, but having' a different means of interlocking'. Fig. 14 is a sectional view through the blank of Fig. 13, showing the inner faces of the flaps when interlocked. Fig. 15 is an exterior view of the same.

As shown in said drawings, A (Fig. 1) designates a blank in flat form, from which my improved tray is made. The blank is provided on its margin with a plurality of sets of marginal flaps which are symmetrically arranged and uniformly disposed about the margins of the blank; the particular blank illustrated having four of such sets of flaps. It is to be understood, however, that more or less than four sets may be employed if desired. -Each set of flaps consists of five flaps, namely, a center flap A two intermediate flaps A A at either side of the center flap A and two external flaps A A said, flaps A A also co-acting with and serving' as the external flaps of adjacent like sets of 'lia s. The said flaps A A and A are separated from the central or body part of the blank which constitutes the bottom of the finished tray, by means of straight score lines (t a and arranged at right angles to radial lines of the blank. Said Score lines are made of equal length and are arranged at equal distances radially from the center of the blank. The several flaps are adapted to be folded upwardly at right angles to the body of the blank along said Score lines to constitute the rim of the tray. Said score linesbeing of equal length and arranged at uniform distances from the center of the blank, it follows that when the flaps are so folded upwardly along said score lines the bottom of the tray will be substantially circular.

The flaps A A are provided with straight endwisc extensions A which, when the blank is 'Flat, Stand in line with each other and project tangentially from the margins of the blank, outside of the shorter flaps A A Said intermediate flaps N A are separatcd from the extensions A of the flaps A by lines of severance extending from the ends of the score lines of in a direction generally parallel 1 tion thereto. The presence of the' infolded with the outer margins of the said flaps A 'but which are preferably curved to give convex form to the outer edges of the narrower ends of said flaps A in order to facilitate the folding of the latter. The said intermediate flaps A are separated from the main or central fiap A of the set 'by cuts or lines of severance which extend outward from the meeting ends of the score lines a and a and which are shown asradially disposed although they need not necessarily be radial. Said central fiap A is, moreover, preferably made longer at its central part than the other fiaps, or extends a greater distance radially from the center of the blank, so as to form an extension or tab which is preferably separated from the body of the flap by a transverse score line a located at a distance from the score line a equal to the Width of the rim. The ends of the extensions A'* A of such set of flaps are adapted to meet and overlap when the tray is set up, and said extensions are provided, as shown, one with a notch forming a lateral tongue a and the other with a locking slit c adapted to receive said tongue a When a tray is to be set up or formed from the blank, cut and scored in the manner shown in Fig. 1, the intermediate sections A A are bent upwardly at right angles to the bottom along the score lines a the central flap A is then bent upwardly along the score line a and the flaps A A are then bent upwardly along the score lines and their extensions A* A* are brought into overlapping relation with each other and are secured together by inserting the locking tongue a into the locking slit a It will be manifest from the above that when the flaps are folded upwardly and -interlocked in the manner described, a complete rim is formed on the bottom, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the interlocking connection of the ends of the extensions A A with each other preventing the spreading apart of the meeting ends of the said extensions and thereby holding or locking the parts of the rim in a manner to hold all of the flaps in a position at right angles to the bottom and to prevent any outward movement thereof under pressure which may come upon the inner surface of the rim, as by contact of the contents of the tray therewith.

The tabs afi, when the central fiaps are folded upwardly, extend above the general line of the top of the rim formed by the central fiaps and constitute lifting handles by which the tray may be lifted from its place on the pail or inserted therein, as clearly seen in the perspective view, Fig. 2. The score lines enable said tabs to be folded inwardly so that, when the tray is placed in a pail, the said tabs will not interfere with the placing of another tray in superposed relatabs prevents' a superposed tray from entering the top of a tray beneath it, or in other words, said tabs, when folded inwardly, constitute supports for a superposed tray, preventing the latter from crushing the contents of the tray on which it rests.

'When the blank, as shown in Fig. 1, is provided with four sets of fiaps, its exterior lines conform practically to a square figure so that the blank -may be cut from 'Sheets of rectangular form with very little Waste.

In the slightly modified construction shown in Figs. 3, 4: and 5, the parts are made generally in the same manner as hereinbefore described. In this instance, the ends of the extensions A A are provided one with a transverse locking slit a and the other with two opposite slits a a which extend transversely inward from its side edges. The tabs a a are folded inwardly, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, so that the end of the extension A bearing the said tabs may be inserted through the slit a in the other extensions, and when so inserted, the said tabs a a are unfolded or straightened out, as seen in full lines in Fig. 4:, and in dotted lines in Fig. 5, when the parts will be firmly interlocked. In the construction shown in said Figs. 3, 4 and 5, moreover, the central flap A instead of having straight outer margins meeting at an angle, as in Figs. 1 and 2, is shaped to form a tab a* of rectangular shape. The result obtained in the construction shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, so far as the interlocking of the flaps is concerned, is manifestly the same as that obtained by that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, it being manifest that in both forms of the device all of the flaps are held in place by the interlocking engagement of the ends of said extensions A A with each other.

In the construction shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, the same general features of construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are present. In this case the blank, marked B, has a plurality of sets of flaps and each set consists of two like contiguous flaps B B and two exterior flaps B B having straight extensions B B adapted to be interlocked with each other when the flaps are folded upwardly, and said extensions are folded outside of the flaps B B The flaps B B and B B are separated from the body of the blank by score lines ?7 and b The extensions B B are, in this instance, shown as being provided one with a notch forming a lateral locking tongue 73 and the other with a lateral slit or notch 6 adapted to interlock with the tongue b In the blank shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the parts are made as hereinbefore described, in connection with Figs. 6, 7 and-8, excepting that the locking tongue 6 on one of the extensions B projects outwardly instead of inwardly, while the slit ?9 extends from the inner margin of the other extension, while,

in the blank, the ends of the extensions B B meet each other and are separated by an oblique or radial line of severance.

The form of blank and tray shown in Figs. 11 and 12 is generally like those shown in v Figs. 6 to 10, but in this case one of the flaps formed in the blank from a part of the latter located between the end of one of the extensions B and the inner margin of the other extenson B, one oi said extensions bemg made, in this case, shorter than the other.

In the form of blank and tray shown in Figs. 13, 14 and 15, the parts are made generally like those shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and are correspondingly lettered in the drawings. In this case the central tab A is rovided with a looking slit a into which the aterally extending looking tongue a is inserted when the ends of the extensions A* are interlocked, so that the ends of said extensions are not only locked together, but also joined to or interlocked with the said central tab. In this case also I have illustrated a modified feature of construction in the flaps A A which may be applied also to the 'form of blank and tray shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. Said fiaps A A are, in this instance, joined to the extensions A A and are separated or severed from the central part or body of the blank or bottom of the tray. Score lines a a forming straight extensions ofthe score lines a separate the said flaps A A from the extensions A A In setting up the tray the said flaps A A are folded inwardly along the said score lines (1 c so as to overlap and 'rest upon the adjacent parts of the upper surface of the tray bottom, as elearly seen in Fig. 14. lVhen the flaps A A are thus in'folded and rest upon the tray bottom, they manifestly serve to form close or tight joints between the said extensions A A* and the adjacent parts of' the margin of the tray bottom.

I claim as my invention:-

1. A substantially circular tray made of a single substantially square sheet and comprising a flat bottom and four sets of marginal flaps, all of which are folded upwardly from the bottom on 'folding lines of equal length which are equidistant from the center of the bottom and at right angles to radial lines thereof, said ilaps including four fiaps located at the centers of the sides of the sheet and provided with oppositely projecting lateral straight extensions, and one or more flaps at each corner of the sheet, which latter fla sin the flat sheet occupy the spaces inside o the lateral straight extensions of the first named fiaps; the several lateral straight extensions in the completed tray being located outside of the corner flap or flaps and overlapped and attached to each other at their meeting ends to constitute a substantially continuous rim for the tray.

2. A substantially circular tray made of a single substantially square sheet and comprising a flat bottom and four sets of marginal I'laps all of which are folded upwardly from the bottom on folding lines of equal length which are equidistant 'from the center of the bottom, and at right angles to radial lines thereo'f; said l'laps including four flaps located at the centers of the sides of the sheet and provided with oppositely projecting lateral straight extensions, and one or more flaps at each corner of the sheet which latter flaps in the fiat sheet occupy the spaces inside of the lateral straight extensions on the first named flaps, and said latter straight extensions in the completed tray being located outside of the corner flap or fiaps and overlap ed at their meeting ends; said meeting end s of the lateral straight extensions being provided with means by which they may be interlocked with each other to constitute a substantially continuous rim *for the tray.

3. A tray made of a single piece of sheet material comprising a flat bottom and a plurality of sets of marginal flaps, each set oi* flaps embracing exterior flaps provided with lateral straight extensions, a central flap and two intermediate flaps, said intermediate flaps forming integral extensions on the lower margins of said lateral straight extensions and being *folded inwardly and resting upon the adjacent marginal parts of the tray bottom and said exterior flaps and central flaps being folded upwardly *from the bottom on 'folding lines equidistant 'from the center of the bottom and at right angles to radial lines thereo'l".

In testimony, that I claim the *foregoing as my invention I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses, this 19th day of August A. D. 1904.

FRANK B. DAVIDSON.

Witnesses:

FRANcIs M. IRELAND, MINA MAssEY. 

